Original game ideas running short?

[orangeban]

Its a black and white game about paranoia.
Your walking down a street and loads of it is dark with red eyes glaring at you.
Its a survival horror because you have to start running away as more eyes appear and start following you. Its cool because though the eyes will swarm and kill you (subtely) and the map is very non-linear (sometimes you'll have to run through the eyes/shadows) you win by staying calm and walking. Theres more to it than that, I think it should have a very distinct feeling that everything is out to get you (including inanimate objects) and it should have good art style, very creepy thought provoking lessons.

 

[hannan4mitch]

The only problem with an original idea is that people who buy from a very limited "scope" of genres are usually very attached to those genres they buy and find that something that's new or revolutionary will change the shape of the genres they know and love.

The next paragraphs are meant to be jokes. If you get pissed off, don't blame me.

A FPS with an original storyline or idea will not sell well because the hardcore fans will be ticked off because there might be more than five lines of text per cutscene or textblock, officially "keeping them away" from the gunplay they love.
A RPG with an original storyline or idea will tick off RPG fans because it won't have anything for them to complain about the game "getting it wrong" or "completely ripping off (item x)".
A RTS with an original storyline or idea will be pretty hard to do (and useless), because most RTSs boil down to the same thing, gather resources, build units, and destroy enemy base/enemy object/overpowered enemy leader.

 

[AdambotLive]

My buddies are currently trying to convince me to help their game that's set 100% in an Acid trip.. complete with a flying Horse boss that shoots mini horses that explode from its eyes. Probably the most original and bizarre Idea I've heard.

OMGWTFBBQ

I demand to speak with them.

 

[silver wolf009]

an epic overarching plot where you are the villian (though you think you're the good guy) and you have to try and "stop" this organization that is trying to "steal" a massive weapon. When really they are trying to destroy it and you end up killing their leader in the final battle after many encounters where he tries to "turn" you. When with his final breath he says something that trips your thoughts and causes you to realize that this whole time you have been the bad guy, and that by stopping the "evil" organization the weapon was "taken back" by the people who had raised you... leading to the sequel. just an idea

ummmmmmmmmmmmm you mean kights of the old replic with some of the roles changed around?

 

[John Smyth]

You play death, and because of the recession you get laid off. So, you go around trying out new jobs--but your touch of death makes it difficult (Such as, one level you play a greeter for a large retail chain). You have to try to do your job without killing anyone and getting fired. Very dark comedy kind of feel.

One of the jobs could be as a campaign partner for a zombie running for mayor.

 

[S-Unleashed]

You play death, and because of the recession you get laid off. So, you go around trying out new jobs--but your touch of death makes it difficult (Such as, one level you play a greeter for a large retail chain). You have to try to do your job without killing anyone and getting fired. Very dark comedy kind of feel.

I'd buy it.

 

[hannan4mitch]

Here's an idea... I think a game about the mafia would be cool (not that mafia wars BS)
You are a Don, leading your own crime family in a large north american city. The fun thing is that the combat runs like a turn-based shooter, you can take enemy turf, run rackets (steal them from enemies), assassinate, recruit members, equip them, bribe officers, judges, ect. The best thing is that the game is played online, meaning everything you do means you effects everybody else playing.

 

[FireFly90]

Are you a 360 fanboy, completely ignorant of PS3 news, or have you been living under a rock for the last few months?

There's two games coming out that are sequels for PS3 exclusives this year: GT5 and GOW3. GT5 isn't my definition of a sequel, though. I think of it more as a continuation of a series. Series' don't need new "story" ideas, but innovative elements that enhance gameplay.

Most of everything else is original. For both third and first parties.

Many of the sequels (such as Battlefield Bad-Company 2) are going to be great. in BFBC2's instance, many battlefield fans (such as myself) look at it as the way the original bad company should have been. It's not a sequel. It's redemption.

Now, I can go on, but just to be clear, outside of what I've already mentioned, the only "Sequels" I can think of are Halo: Reach and Fallout New Vegas.

But the latter is, again, part of a series and doesn't count, and the first deals with an aspect of the Halo storyline that IS original.

I'm just saying, I think it's ridiculous that you think we're running out of ideas. The way I see it, this year has the most original content since the 90's.

To answer your first question, No, maybe and maybe (i have both consoles). I'm only trying to encourage disscusion.

I am aware of GT5 and Heavy Rain on PS3. Im not saying that theres 'nothing' original, im just saying that from 'my view' allot of games nowadays seem very much the same. Others may say otherwise and have other opinions, but thats ok, coz i'm open to other peoples views.

 

[Quiet Stranger]

although not original I'd LOVE to see an MMO for Starcraft!!!

 

[Daniel Cygnus]

-super snip-

Please, please please put that enormous wall o' text in spoiler tags. Do them like this: [spoiler#] Your text here [/spoiler#] . Take out the # signs, and you're golden. I like the idea, BTW. Sounds like a rich and detailed world.

There are more original ideas out there than you think. Just take a look at Katamari Damacy or Killer 7. Both could easily be the results of taking different kinds of drugs. Rolling a sticky ball around the world, eventually getting big enough to pick up whole planets, all to rebuild the night sky? Assassinating bizarre targets as a dude in a wheelchair who can turn into any of his 7 split personalities?

I think we're far, far away from running out of ideas.

 

[Gyrefalcon]

No no, it isn't ideas that are running short, it is people who can weasel their way into the industry that are coming up short. It is also the fault of the public, for buying utterly generic games and snubbing the good, lesser known ones. there are lots of good, original ideas out there, they have just been buried under the monolith of the 'standard' gaming industry.

You can't blame the public if a game does not get enough advertisement or proper advertisement (describing the game's unique and desirable features well). I don't think I ever saw an ad for Psychonauts, Katamari Daimacy, Culdcept, Myst, Stretch Panic, Okami nor Mr. Mosquito. Dumping all the ad dollars on games with obvious appeal such as sports stars, or movie franchises makes it harder to notice a random game on a long wall of games.

 

[Daniel_Rosamilia]

Here's one for you: Storydriven psychological horror game (sounds like alan wake so far but stick with me there's more to this).

You wake up in a Sanitarium with no prior exposition. Your one and only objective is to break out of there. On your way though, you encounter the person who stuck you in there, who turns out to be a monster or some shit. When you least expect it, the lights will flicker, the corridor will be flooded with water, your knife you found somewhere will turn into the red rose you never had a chance to give your true love or something, all the while you are tormented by constant THREAT of death from the same baddie throughout the storyline, even though he never actually kills you, because after respawning at a checkpoint after the baddie kills you, i find horrorgames generally lose their zing.

You'd be forced to carry out puzzles, physics or something, in a completely bizarre and ever changing world, not knowing if you are insane or if you're just in some sort of magical world of nightmare and horror.

And then BAM, once you kill the bad guy, it cuts to you back in your cell, having slit your own wrists and lying dead on the floor. Edgy. Win lots of awards. Great success.

Hmmmmm, that would be a good idea, but I can't see any massive gaming comapnies rushing forward in the future to take it, but WTF, right?
Sounds good enough to be an acid trip.

 

[almostgold]

I have an idea!
There should be a game where you play an average person, a plumber perhaps, trying to get back a princess stolen by a giant turtle-thing. Aided by a few friends, you have to traverse dangerous lands swarming with strange enemies trying to kill you, until finally, you make it to a castle, which turns out to be the wrong one. Then you have to go to the next "world" where you do the same thin-
...
...
you know what? forget it, that would be a crap game.


Ooh, i have another one. there should be a game where you are a super fast hedgehog, and you have to run really fast, and collect rings, and... um... yeah thats it.
...
Damn it i'm really bad at this.

hey, in the first one, you should eat mushrooms, but instead of dying slowly from food poisoning, alone and unloved, you get REALLY BIG! And the same with flowers, except fireballs! Also you wear a racoons skin so you can fly, and..... wait,...wait I see why you abodoned this idea.

No one would buy that game. Thats ridiculous.

 

[Thaius]

Nothing against you, OP, but honestly, it kind of annoys me when people go off about this...

Gaming is only about 30 years old. Of course, most of the original ideas are going to come early on in the life cycle of the entire medium. That just makes sense, because back then, everything was new and original. Now, it's a lot harder. It's only logical that there will be less originality than even just 10 years ago, because gaming has only recently even been born, and its advanced quickly toward maturity since then.

But the situation isn't as bad as a lot of people say. Gaming is just settling into the same place that every other art medium does: where it's mainstream enough that a lot of games are being made. It's a basic law of art (and everything, arguably) that 90% of everything is crap. More people make games, so there are more bad games surrounding the good ones. So of course there aren't as many original ideas as unoriginal, because like any other art form, most games suck. But really, all this crap is an indication that gaming is on the rise: more crap is an indicator of more games, and more games means more original ideas, despite the bad ones surrounding it. Lots of crap doesn't mean there aren't many gems.

Also, shut up about the ridiculous "original" ideas. No one wants to play a game about elephants shooting Twinkies out of their butts to fight an oppressive gaggle of Canadian geese armed with organic weapons that shoot bullets infused with Ebola. Originality does not equal quality; sometimes it's just stupid. The fact is, it takes immense amounts of creativity to come up with anything original that isn't simply a small thing that has a big effect on an old idea, or a different way of presenting something that's already been done before. If an idea is actually original enough that it's never, ever been done before, it's probably not because it hasn't been thought of yet: it's because it's just not a good idea.

[/rant]

OT: I would just like to see more games like Indigo Prophecy and Heavy Rain, that manage to take a story without constant fighting and turn it into a great storytelling experience. If we focus on how to wrap a story in gameplay rather than vice-versa, gaming would be so much better.

 

[Soushi]

No no, it isn't ideas that are running short, it is people who can weasel their way into the industry that are coming up short. It is also the fault of the public, for buying utterly generic games and snubbing the good, lesser known ones. there are lots of good, original ideas out there, they have just been buried under the monolith of the 'standard' gaming industry.

You can't blame the public if a game does not get enough advertisement or proper advertisement (describing the game's unique and desirable features well). I don't think I ever saw an ad for Psychonauts, Katamari Daimacy, Culdcept, Myst, Stretch Panic, Okami nor Mr. Mosquito. Dumping all the ad dollars on games with obvious appeal such as sports stars, or movie franchises makes it harder to notice a random game on a long wall of games.

i didn't say that i blamed it all on the consumer, However, should we not take a little bit of the blame, for sticking with the utterly generic and utterly safe? Of course people are going to want to play a big title generic game, some of which are good, but people have given the industry the view that we will only consume what we know and love, rather than taking a risk. that;s why a game like Bioshock, who was really kind of a generic simple puzzle solving shooter, got so much attention for being original, because it was so rare to find ideas that interesting and new in a game of that structure (even though many of the ideas had been borrowed).
Either way, for the sake of my future career and for the sake of other creative peoples, i hope that this trend shifts a little.

 

[almostgold]

i didn't say that i blamed it all on the consumer, However, should we not take a little bit of the blame, for sticking with the utterly generic and utterly safe? Of course people are going to want to play a big title generic game, some of which are good, but people have given the industry the view that we will only consume what we know and love, rather than taking a risk. that;s why a game like Bioshock, who was really kind of a generic simple puzzle solving shooter, got so much attention for being original, because it was so rare to find ideas that interesting and new in a game of that structure (even though many of the ideas had been borrowed).
Either way, for the sake of my future career and for the sake of other creative peoples, i hope that this trend shifts a little.

Games cost $60. I'm not about to 'take risks' with that kind of money. I'll buy what I know I'll like, thank you very much.

 

[experiment0789]

My bro and I had an interesting idea for an MMO in which you play a survivor in a zombie apocalypse against a hoard of slow type zombies that have infested everything outside of your groups safe area. It's a couple of years after the infection and basicly humanity only exists in these little pockets of safety. As a player you can go on scavenging trips to raid places for supplies and what-not, that you bring back to 'home' and convert to currency. More sought after stuff means more money, but this also means more zombie hoards. The option to team with others is then an essential part of the game.

We based this idea of Max Brookes Zombie Survival Guide, and the chapters on the undead basicly taking over the world, with some influence from the Romero film Land of the Dead (the newer one)

The RPG element would come in at character creation. You would pick a career that you had before the fall of humanity which would then give you your skills. Doctors have more benefits for healing comrades or themselves, police officers have better gun skills, and so on. (I think he and I came up with about 15 jobs just from listing everyday things)

Sounds good so far, I just have a few questions about it. I don?t mean any criticism since I also think that this sounds like a neat idea for a game.
1. What is the goal of the game, why are you doing this the whole game?
Is the game going to be like Left 4 Dead (trying to stay alive until you can get to an evac place), or is it going to be like a ?kill and rescue other potential survivors? ? game.

2. What are we going to do with currency?
I know this seems like a stupid question, so by this I mean in extension, what is there to buy?
Are we going to have to buy weapons and stuff like Diablo games, if so you might wonder why you can?t just pick a random idem you might find or already have to defend your self.

Thats all for now,I have to go.